That's become the mantra of the Tantasqua Regional School District, whose elected officials are once again pushing state lawmakers to file legislation that would require the commonwealth to follow MCAS standards rather than new federal Common Core standards.

"I think they've got some legitimate concerns," state Rep. Todd M. Smola, R-Warren, said, referring to a request by the Tantasqua Regional District School Committee.

As state education officials continue to roll out the new national standards in English and mathematics, Tantasqua school officials are asking legislators to require Massachusetts to use its own high educational standards over the federal curriculum. The school district, which includes students from both Hampden and Worcester counties, encompasses the communities of Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, Sturbridge and Wales.

"Common Core is kind of the law of the land now," Smola said, adding that state legislation has been filed that would give primacy to MCAS, or Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems. Although Common Core has been embraced by most Massachusetts school districts, the bill would essentially jettison the federal curriculum in favor of MCAS. A similar bill failed to win passage during the last legislative session.

Michael Valanzola, chairman of the Tantasqua Regional District School Committee, wants state education officials to use MCAS as the gold standard for education in the commonwealth, not the federal Common Core standards that continue to be phased in.The Republican

Michael J. Valanzola, chairman of the Tantasqua Regional District School Committee, pointed out that Massachusetts already has the highest educational standards in the nation, and that maintaining state control over the curriculum forming the foundation of MCAS is vital for Bay State students' continued success.

"Don't throw out standards that are more rigorous and that have been battle-tested for something that, quite honestly, we don't know much about. At least continue to have a discussion about it," said Valanzola, of Wales.

Valanzola's committee issued a statement last week calling on the governor and state lawmakers to file legislation that would override the July 21, 2010, vote by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education that adopted Common Core standards in English and mathematics. The committee cited "continuing concerns regarding the negative effect" that Common Core might have on the education of Massachusetts students.

Many Western Massachusetts school districts, including Springfield, have embraced Common Core, which continues to be phased in. State education officials called for preliminary introduction of the national standards in 2011. By the start of the current academic year, however, most local districts were still aligning their curriculum with the new requirements. The state expects full implementation of Common Core by the 2013-2014 school year.